State confirms 2 salmonella cases

JUNEAU - The state of Alaska has confirmed at least two cases of salmonella matching the strain tied to recalled eggs, a health department spokesman said Thursday.

Greg Wilkinson told The Associated Press that in at least one of the cases, in Anchorage, the person ate eggs. He said it's not yet clear whether the second person, in Homer, also did.

The state also reported a suspected case of salmonella in Girdwood but tests are pending. Wilkinson said that person reported eating raw egg in cookie dough.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the eggs consumed were part of the massive nationwide recall initiated by Iowa-based Wright County Egg over concerns that eggs its farms produced had the potential to be contaminated by salmonella. Wilkinson said the best the state can do is put "two and two together," if the salmonella strains match to that of the affected eggs and the person reported eating eggs.

Kimberly Stryker, an environmental program manager with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said at least one statewide retailer in Alaska reported receiving eggs affected by the recall. The eggs were sold under the label Olympia Valley but were believed to have been repackaged from an earlier Farm Fresh label, she said.

Stryker did not identify the retailer but said it was pulling the product from its shelves. She said her agency planned to release product details so consumers could check whether they had any of the eggs.